Refrigeration device



Dec. 11, 1951 W. R. DAFFRICH REFRIGERATION DEVICE Filed Des. 9, 1946 INVENTOR Patented 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE namrcaanron mmce William a. Dapprlch, Mount Lebanon. la.

Application December 9, 1946, Serial No. 715,013

9 Clairon. 1

Thls invention relates to refrigerator structures and partlculatly to devices for use in refrigerators for maintaining articles at sub-Ireezing temperature. In certain of' its more speciflc aspects the invention relates to an appliance adapted for application to an existing l-efrigerator to increase the capacity of the refrigerator for maintaining -artiles at sub-ireezing temperature.

Existing retrigerators are provided with a chamber adapted to be maintained at a temperaturc a few degrees above freezing and a cooling coil in the chamber arranged to have a space therewithin adapted to be maintained at subtreezing temperature. Ordinarily ice cube trays and sometimes other trays or receptacles for ioods which are to be maintained at sub-ireezing temperature are disposed within that coil. While the capacity of diflerent refrigerators for maintaining articles at sub-freezing temperature in relation to the total retrigerator capacity varies. in all retriggerators with which I am familier the capacity of the refrigerator fox maintaining articles at subtreezing temperature is a rather small fraction of the total capacity of the refrigerator; Frozen foods are becoming increasingly popular. This means that greater capacity for maintaining irozen foods ai; sub-freezing temperature is demanded.

I provide for increasing the capacity of a refrigerator for maintainin'g articles at sub-freezing ten1perature by utilizing the cooling coil within the refrigerator for maintaining at sub-ireezing temperature portions of the space within the refrigerator which otherwise would not be maintained at sub-freezing temperature. I provide for maintaining at sub-freezing temperature portions of the refrigerator space outside but adjacent the cooling coil or treezing compartment coil within the refrigerator. This increases the efliciency of the coil and provides for maintenance at sub-freezing temperature of portions of the refrigerator space outside the coil which by proper enclosure in relation to the coil can satisiactorlly be maintained at sub-freezing temperature.

Whfle my invention may be embodied in a structure permanently built into a refrigerator it may also be embodied in a device adapted to be .applied to an existing refrigerator to increase the capacity thereof for maintaining articles at subfreezing temperature.

I provide, in a refrigerator, a cooling coil arranged to have a space therewithin adapted to be maintained at sub-freezing temperature' and means iorming a substantiaily closed compartment outside but immediately adjacent the'coil adapted to be maintained at sub-treezing temperature. I further provide, in a refrigerafor, a chamber adapted to be maintainedat a temperature a few degrees above freezing, a cooling coil in the chamber arranged to have a space therewithin adapted to be maintained at sub-ireezing temperature and means forming a substantiail closed -compartment outside but immediately adjacent the coil adapted to be maintained at sub-freezing temperature.

I desirably provide means disposed at a side of the coil cooperating with said aide to iorm a closed compartment outside the coil adapted to be maintained at sub-treezing temperature. Said means may be disposed at the opposed generaily vertical sides of the coil and may cooperate with said sides to form opposed closed compartments. The compartment forming means preterably has a noninsulating wall next the coil and an insulating wall remote from the coil. The compartment or compartments is or are preferably provided with hinged door means at the front thereof and means are preferably provided therein for facilitating removal of articles therefrom,

I further provide a retrigeration device comprising means termina a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated, the compartment having a bottom, said bottom having a. groove therein extending tram front to rear of the compartment, and means slidable in the groove for facilitating removal of articles from the compartment. Tire groove and said means may, if desired, be provided in a wall of the compartment other than: the bottom. The slidable means preferably comprises a bar having adjacent its rear end agdetent projecting generafly inwardly of the cdmpartment for forcing ont articles in the copartment when the bar is withdrawn outwar in the groove. When the bar is disposed at tl ie bottom of the compartment it desirably has an upwardly projecting datent adjacent its rear end and a handle portion at its front end.

1 further provide a refrigeration device comprising means forming a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated and means for mounting said flrst mentioned meansupon the frcezing compartment coil of a refrigerator with a portion of said first mentioned means immediately adjacent the coil whereby the compartment formed thereby is adapted to be maintained at sub-ireezing temperature. The first mentioned means preferably forma opposed compartments adjacent the coi] at opposite sldcs of the coil. Desirably the refrigeration device comprises opposed sections each having a compartment for receiving articles to be reirigerated and means for mounting said sections in relation to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator such that portions oi said sections lie immediately adjacent the coi] at opposite sides of the coi].

The means for mounting the reirigeration device preierably includes portions on the respective sections adapted to overlie the freezing compartm'ent coi] to support the sections and portions adapted to be connected together to maintain the sections in place. The mounting means may include portions on the respective sections adapted to interfit and means for fastening said portions together to maintain the sections in place.

I still Iurther provide a refrigeration dvice comprising opposed sections having telescoping portions. the device being adapted to be applied to the freezing compartment coi] of a refrigerator by disposing the opposed sections at opposite sides of the coi] and moving the sections toward each other t engage the coil, means for fastening together the telescoping portions to maintain the sections in place and means in at least one of the sections forming a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated.

Other details, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description of a present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse cross-sectional view through the freezing compartment coi] of a refrigerator having a refflgeration device appiied thereto;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the refrigeration device. the doors closing the compartments of the device at the front of the refrigerator being omitted for clarity of showing of the structure;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the refrigeration device; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the reirigeration device.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1. reference numeral 2 designates the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator. The coil is shown as being of the usual type arranged generally in the form of a square tube with rounded corners and with the axis of the tube horizontal and perpendicular to the front of the refrigerator. The coi] may be disposed in a refrigerator having a chamber adapted to be maintaned at a temperaturc a feW degrees above freezing, e. g., the ordinary domestic refrigerator. The freezing compartment coi] is adapted to maintain a sub-freezing temperature and to contain ice cube tras and/or trays for any articles which are to be maintained at temperatures below freezing. The coi] may be disposed anywhere in the primary chamber of the refrigerator and is ordinarily positioned at or near the top of the chamber. It may be disposed centrally of the chamber considered transversely or adjacent one side. In the structure shown in the drawings the freezing compartment coi] 2 is disposed centrally of the primary chamber of the refrigerator considered transversely, or at least substantially spaced from each side wall of the refrigerator.

The length of the coi] 2 in the axial direction may be approximately the same as the interior horizontal dimension of the refrigerator perpendicularto the front thereoi. Hcnce the rear and 0] the coil may abut the back inside wall of the rcl'rigerator which to all intcnts and purposcs closes the coi! at the rear. At the front the coi] is normally provided with a. swinging door of such size as to cover the space within the coi] and iorm inside the coi] a substantially closcd space 3 adapted to be maintained at sub-lreczing temperature. .Ai] 01. the structure thus iar described is weil known in the art. It may be desired to enlarge the capacity of an cxisting refrigcrator to maintain articles at sub-Ireezing tcmperature. or it may be desired to manufacture a relrigerator having an increased capacity for maintaining articles at sub-ireezing tempcrature. ln either event my refrigeration device may be employed. The device as here disclosed is specifically adapted to be manufactured and sold as an accessory to be purchased by the refflgerator owner and appiied to his particuiar refrigerator. If the device were to be applied by the refrigerator manufacturer at the factory it might be modified in various respects. particularly so as to be permanently rather than removabiy applied to the freezing compartment coil. Whether the refrigeration device be removabiy or permanently applied it serves to materially increase the capacity of the re- Irigeratorfor maintaining articles at sub-freezing temperature.

A removable form of refrigeration device which is adapted for separate sale as an accessory and to be applied to an existing refrigerator by the owner thereof is shown in perspective in Figure 2 of the drawings. It is shown in cross-section in Figure 1 as applied to the coil 2. The refrigeration device is desirably made of sheet metal, aluminum being preferred. The device shown provides two additional compartments at each side of the coil 2 for maintaining articles at subfreezing temperature. Adapted to be disposed at each side of the coi] when the device is applied to the coi] is an inner sheet metal wall 4 and an outer wall 5. The outer wal] 5 includes a component of insulating material, as, for example. cork. It may consist of an inner layer of aluminum with an outside cork covering. Each side or section of the refrigeration device has a sheet metal bottom, the bottom of the left hand section, viewing Figure 2, being designated 6 and the bottom of the right hand section being designated 1. The bottoms of the respective sections underlie the compartments thereot, extending completely to the outer faces of the sections, and they also extend inwardly beyond the compartments of the sections 50 as to underlie the freezing compartment coi] of the refrigerator when the refrigeration device is applied to the coil. The inwardly projecting portions of the bottoms 6 and 1 are adapted to overlap when the device is appiied. The bottom 1 has its front and rear edges each upwardly and reversely turned to form a channel 8 adapted to receive the corresponding edge of the bottom 6 so that the sections of the refrigerati0n device are in eiect telescopically arranged, i. e., they may be slid toward and away from each other with the bottom 6 riding on top of the bottom 1 and with the edges of the bottom 6 in the channels 8. The bottom 1 is provided with an elongated slot 9 parallel to the channels 8 and the bottom 6 is provided with 9. hole III receiving a clamping bolt Il, the clamping bolt Il being adapted to pass through the hole 2 and the slot 9 and to be tightened against the respective bottoms 6 and 1 to hold the same together and thus maintain the devic in desired adjusted position.

Each section of the device bas a sheet metal top l2. Each top l2 completely covers the upper compartment of its section and also projects inwardly a short distance so that when the device is applied to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator the inwardly projecting portions of the tops I! will overlie the coil as shown in Figure 1 and thus support the device upon the coil. In applyingthe device to a coil the clamping bolt l 1 is ioosened and the sections are pulled away from each other until the transverse distance between the inner walls 4 is somewhat greater than the transverse dimension of the coil 2. The device is then applied to the coil by moving it axiall until it substantially embraces the coil whereupon the opposed sections are pushed toward each other untilthe respective inner walls 4 engage the sides of the coil and the inwardly projecting portions of the tops i2 overlie the coil as shown in Figure 1. The clamping boit I l is then tightened to fasten the sections together and maintain the device in applied and adjusted position.

Midway between the top and bottom of each section is a horizontal dividing wall or shelf la. Each of the shelves 13 and also the portion of each of the bottoms 6 and 1 which closes the lower compartment is provided with a groove M which extends from front to rear of the device aiong the bottom of the compartment. Disposed in each groove Il so as to be slidable in the groove ma direction perpendicular to the front of the refrigerator is a bar l5 having adjacent its rear end au upwardiy projecting detent 16 and at its iront end a downwardly turned handle portion il. The purpose of the bar l5 is to facilitate the forcing out of the compartment of articles which may have become frozen to the bottom or walls of the compartment. When it is desired to remove such articles the handle portion l1 is grasped and the bar is pulled toward the front of the refrigerator. The detent l6 engages the rear of the article in the compartment and forces it out of the front of the compartment as the bar is drawn outwardly.

The respective compartments in the refrigeratien device are preferably closed at the front and back as well as at the top, bottom and sides. The compartments are to all intents and purposes closed at the rear by the rear wall of the refrigerator. Each compartment may be closed at the front by a hinged door, such, for example. as the door I8 shown in Figure 3 and which may be provided with a handle 19. The respective doors l8 may be hinged at the top or bottom or at one side, the particular form shown bein hinged at the top.

'Ihus I utilize the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator for maintaining at sub-freezing temperature auxiliary compartments for frozen foods or similar articles disposed outside the coil. 'IIie eificiency of the coil is thus increased while the capacity of the refrigerator for maintaining articles at sub-freezing temperatur is likewise increased. The size of the auxiliary compartments is optional but they should be of reasonably limited size so as not to impose too heavy a burden on the coil. The temperature maintained by the coil may be regulated in the usual manner.

If the coil is disposed close to one side wall of the refrigerator the refrigeration device may be modifled to eliminate the compartments thereof at one side, having only the wall 4 at 6 that side or section of the device cooperating with the opposing section in the. same manner as above expiained for maintainin the device in place with respect to the coil. Also, while the refrigeration device is shown as being supported from the coil itself it may be supported from brackets or portions of the refrigerator proper but in relation to the coil so that the compartments of the device will be maintained et subfreezing temperature.

While I have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

mounting said sections in relation to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator such that portions of said sections lie immediately adjacent the coil at opposite sides of the coil whereby the compartments formed by said sections are adapted to be maintained at sub-ireezing temperature, said mounting means including portions on the respective sections adapted to overlie the coil to support the sections and portions adapted to be connected together to maintain the sections in place.

3. A refrigeration device comprising opposed sections at least one of which has a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated and means for mounting said sections in relation to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator such that a portion of the section having the compartment lies immediately adjacent the coil whereby the compartment of said section is adapted to be maintained at sub-freezing temperature, said mounting means including portions on the respective sections adapted to interfit and means for fastening said portions togetlger to maintain the sections in place.

4. A refrigeration device comprising means forming a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated, means for mounting said first mentioned means in relation to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator such that a portion of said first mentioned means lies adjacent the coil whereby the compartment formed thereby is adapted to be maintained at subfreezing temperature, the compartmenthaving a bottom, said bottom having a groove therein extending from front to rear of the compartment, and means slidable in the groove and liftable out of the groove for facilitating removal of articles from the compartment.

5. A refrigeration device comprising opposed sections each having a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated and means for mounting said sections in relation to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator such that portions of said sections lie immediately adjacent the coil at opposite sides of the coil whereby the compartments formed by said sections are adapted to be maintained at sub-freezing temperature, said mounting means including portions on the respective sections adapted to overlie the coil'to support the sections, other portions on the respective sections adapted to underlie the coil and means for fastening together the last mentioned portions to maintain the sections in place.

6. A refrigeration device comprislng opposed sections having telescoping portions, the device being adapted to be applied to the freezing compartment coil of a refrigerator by disposing the opposed sections at opposite sides of the coil and. moving the sections toward each other to engage the coil. means for fastening together the talescoping portions to maintain the sections in place and means in at least one of the sections forming a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated.

7. A refrigeration device comprising means forming a compartment for receiving articles to be refrigerated, the compartment having a bottom, said bottom having a groove therein extending from front to rear of the compartment, and means slidable in and guided by the groove, said means having an article engaging detent adjacent the rear end thereof and being tiltable about the bottom of the groove as a fulcrum for both prying articles loose from the bottom of the compartment and pushing articles out of the compartment.

8. A refrigerator accessory adapted for rapid and easy attachment to an existing refrigerator without in any way modifying the refrigerator and which accessory is adapted to be mounted upon and supported by the freezing portion of the refrigerator in thermoconductive relation thereto, the accessory comprising top, bottom and side walls forming a compartment and mounting means connected with the compartment for mounting the accessory outside of and supporting the same by the freezing portion of the refrigerator, the mounting means comprising two opposed portions adapted to receive therebetween at least a part of the freezing portion et the refrigerator, said portions being relatively movable into embracing relationship with at least a part of the freezing portion of the refrigerator when the accessory is being attached, and means for maintaining said portions in reia= tively flxed relationship while embracing at least a part of the treezing portion of the refrigeraimr whereby the accessory is easily applied and tached without any modification of the retrigera= cor.

9. A refrigerator accessory adapted for rapid and easy attachment to an existing refrigerator without in any way modifying the refrigerator and which accessory is adapted to be mounted upon and supported by the freezing portion 01. the refrigerator in thermoconductive relative thereto, the accessory comprising opposed connected together generally upright portions adapted respectively to lie against the sides of the freezing portion of the refrigerator, means connected with said generally upright portions adjacent the upper extremities thereof and projectin therefrom to overlie the freezing portion of the refrigerator and thereby in efiect hang the accessory from the freezing portion and means forming a compartment connected with said generally upright portions for containing things to be refrigerated, whereby the accessory largely trames the freezing portion of the refrigerator and can be easily applied thereto without in any way modifying the same.

WILLIAM R. DAPPRICH.

RFRENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNIIED STAES PATENTS Number Name Date 10,255 Lewis Nov. 22, 1853 1,372,829 Riebeth Max. 29, 1921 1,633,588 Klinenberg June 28, 1927 1,798,951 Munters Max. 31, 19:31 1,916,032 Allyne June 27, 1933 2,051,733 Moore Aug. 18, 1936 2,134,149 Schellens Oct. 25, 1938 2,231,952 Rowe Feb. 18, 1941 2,284,293 Mills -1--- May 26, 1942 2,291,736 Lindblom Aug. 4, 1942 2,375,359 Hedlund May 8, 1945 

